I make pie crust with poppy seeds or sometimes sesame in the dough. I also enjoy, for savoury pies, things like chopped thyme leaves running through the pastry, or roughly cracked black pepper, mustard powder or paprika mixed into the flour first.
I make a sort of scone dough pastry.
300g ish plain flour (plus seasonings)
100g ish butter
1 egg or sometimes just an egg yolk
A splash of cold whole milk
Rub the butter Into the flour to a fine breadcrumb.
(with your hands lifted above the bowl make rubbing motions with your fingertips and work handfuls of flour butter mix rubbing and flattening little pieces of butter through the flour and letting them fall into the bowl)
This keeps the mix aerated and cool
(does everyone know how to rub in okay I'll continue *haha*
Make a well in the centre of the bowl and add the egg and milk. Mix by grabbing and squishing the mix making sure to "wet" any pockets of flour first before moving onto mixing the whole bowl lightly.
When it's nearly a dough pour the mix onto a countertop and just bring it together with a knead or two.
Wrap in clingfilm and chill
When rolling for use, pack the dough together first but don't reknead, then roll thinly.
Blind bake your crust before filling by pricking all over with a knife, (and I mean lots and lots of small holes) and cooking for 5-10minutes or so on a moderate heat until the dough has dried and just started to cook.
This is a easy versatile and very tasty, slightly crumbly and crunchy pie crust which works as well with venison pie as it does with chicken and mushroom, or apple & peach
For sweet pastry add 35g sugar after breadcrumb stage and before liquid stage.
But then if you're doing sweet pastry there's always Pate a sucree personally I like the michel roux recipe for that one
Peace and pie from a hippie chef
